Dark web forums: How they work and why they’re risky

The dark web has a reputation for being a dangerous corner of the internet — and for good reason. While some parts of the dark web focus on privacy protection and free speech, dark web forums are where cybercriminals openly trade stolen data and discuss attack strategies. For businesses, they are a real and immediate threat to security. In 2020, research found over 15 billion stolen credentials circulating on the dark web, with 5 billion of them being unique.[1] So if your company’s data gets leaked, chances are it will end up in one of these forums. In this article, we’ll break down how dark web forums work and how you can protect your business before its name shows up in one.

What is a dark web forum?

Much like forums on the regular web, dark web forums are online discussion platforms, except they’re hosted on the dark web — a part of the internet that can’t be accessed through conventional search engines. You can’t just Google your way into these forums like you would with a subreddit or a social media platform. Instead, accessing them requires specialized software like Tor (or The Onion Router), which hides the user’s location and IP address.

Because of this anonymity, dark web forums are notoriously famous for enabling illegal activity. They act as marketplaces for stolen data, hacking tools, illicit services, and drug sales. However, not every dark web forum is illegal. Some forums function as open spaces for free speech, especially in places with strict censorship. That said, forums focused purely on privacy or legitimate discussions are rare, and the majority are tied to some form of illegal trade or cybercrime.

The dark web is a serious threat to businesses. If your company suffers a data breach or hackers uncover vulnerabilities in your systems, these forums are often where the stolen data is bought, sold, or exploited.

How do dark web forums work, and how do people access them?

Dark web forums run on highly encrypted, anonymous networks. The most popular software for accessing the dark web is the Tor network. Tor works by wrapping a user’s internet traffic in multiple layers of encryption, like the layers of an onion. It bounces the traffic through a chain of servers across the globe, masking the user’s IP, location, and browsing activity in the process. This process makes it extremely difficult to trace who’s visiting what, and it’s exactly why criminals flock to it. Websites and services exclusive to the Tor network typically have addresses ending in “.onion.”

Some forums are open to anyone who finds the link, but the more dangerous ones (and usually the ones more valuable to criminals) have strict entry rules. Most of these forums charge entry fees (usually paid in cryptocurrency) to filter out casual browsers. In some cases, new members might also need an invite from a trusted insider or to contribute something valuable, like stolen data or hacking tools, to get vetted. The forums also use unique ranking systems, rewarding members with reputation points for valuable information or successful transactions, though these ranks are often available for purchase.

Inside, the forums function like any other online community. Users post threads, reply to each other, and build reputations. But instead of discussing hobbies, tech trends, or news, these forums focus on hacking tutorials, sales of data stolen in breaches, or ransomware-as-a-service offers. If it’s illegal and digital, you’ll probably find a dark web forum for it.

Make no mistake — dark web forums are not fun hacker playgrounds or underground clubs. They are a breeding ground for fraud, extortion, and identity theft. Even just lurking can put you at risk because many forums actively log visitors’ data to target them for scams or malware infections.

Common types of dark web forums

Not all dark web forums are the same. Some focus on very specific types of crimes, while other forums cover a bit of everything with multiple subforums dedicated to different crimes. A single forum can host discussions on hacking, fraud, data breaches, and more, making it a one-stop shop for cybercriminals. Here’s a closer look at the types of dark web forums, or subforums, that businesses should be aware of.

Dark web marketplace forums

Dark web marketplace forums tend to attract the most attention because they provide criminals access to valuable, illegal goods. Here’s how these forums operate:

• Main focus. Buying and selling illegal goods and services, including stolen login credentials, credit card data, and malware.
• Working model. Transactions on marketplace forums often use escrow services as a way to build “trust” between criminals. A forum administrator usually holds payments until both parties confirm the deal is complete, though many forums now use bots for this task. Alphabay, one of the biggest dark web marketplaces, operated this way until it was shut down by law enforcement.
• Risk for businesses. Stolen corporate data often ends up listed for sale on the dark web — or sometimes even gets shared for free. Once exposed, sensitive information becomes a commodity that criminals buy, sell, or use to launch further attacks. What starts as a single breach can quickly snowball into long-term damage that’s hard to contain.

Dark web hacking and cybercrime forums

Dark web hacking forums are dedicated to the “how-to” side of cybercrime. Let’s take a look at how these forums work:

• Main focus. Anything related to unauthorized access, digital sabotage, and the exchange of malicious tools and techniques.
• Working model. Hackers use these spaces to swap techniques, share custom-built malware, and even offer hacking services for hire. These forums also host sections for selling initial access to compromised corporate systems, often obtained through phishing or credential-stuffing attacks.
• Risk for businesses. These forums discuss businesses, especially those that might have vulnerabilities in their systems or those that store especially valuable data. A single exposed security flaw discussed in these forums can quickly lead to a full-scale breach.

Dark web fraud and financial crime forums

Financial fraud is a popular topic on the dark web, with many forums dedicated to it. Here’s what you have to know about them:

• Main focus. Various financial crimes, including credit card fraud, payment system exploits, fake invoices, and identity theft.
• Working model. Cybercriminals use these forums to exchange tips, tools, and stolen financial data to fuel various scams. Members of these forums often buy and sell full identity packages, sometimes called "fullz," which contain everything needed to impersonate a victim for fraudulent purposes. They also trade combo lists — massive collections of username and password pairs compiled from various sources, including past breaches and data leaks.
• Risk for businesses. Financial institutions and e-commerce platforms are prime targets on these forums. Criminals are constantly evolving their tactics, finding new ways to bypass banking security, clone credit cards, or exploit payment processors. The moment a company’s data appears in one of these forums, fraud attempts can skyrocket, leading to financial loss, regulatory fines, and reputational damage.

Dark web cryptocurrency forums

Cryptocurrency is the backbone of the dark web’s financial infrastructure, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that you can find many dark web forums that discuss crypto scams:

• Main focus. Anything related to cryptocurrency.
• Working model. Criminals exchange methods for cleaning dirty crypto using privacy coins and avoiding blockchain tracking to stay ahead of law enforcement. Some members even sell “cleaning services,” offering to launder stolen or illicit funds for a percentage of the total amount.
• Risk for businesses. Even companies outside the crypto industry can be affected. Criminals use stolen payment details to make fraudulent purchases, exploit e-commerce platforms to launder money, and abuse business accounts for illicit transactions. If a company unknowingly processes dirty crypto, it could face chargebacks, lost revenue, and even legal trouble for failing to detect suspicious activity.

Dark web data breach and leak forums

Dark web data leak and breach forums often intersect with hacking forums, though many are specifically focused on methods for stealing, leaking, and exploiting data from corporate breaches. These forums function as follows:

• Main focus. Trading and sharing of data stolen from corporate breaches.
• Working model. Discussions here can cover everything from the analysis of the data itself to price negotiations for particularly valuable datasets. In some cases, hackers leak free samples of stolen data as proof of legitimacy or as a pressure tactic to shame companies that refuse to meet ransom demands. Threat actors post data dumps from major data breaches, either selling them to the highest bidder or offering them for free to build their reputation.
• Risk for businesses. When a company experiences a breach, the stolen data almost always ends up on these forums, often within hours or days.

Dark web privacy and anonymity forums

Not all dark web forums are criminal in nature. Some are more neutral zones that focus entirely on teaching users how to preserve privacy or protect themselves from surveillance:

• Main focus. Discussing privacy tools, encryption methods, and anonymous communication, often to avoid surveillance.
• Working model. Users share guides on using Tor, VPNs, encrypted messaging apps, and other privacy tools.
• Risk for businesses. These communities usually attract privacy advocates, ethical hackers, and users seeking to protect themselves from invasive tracking. However, the tools and techniques discussed are often the same ones threat actors rely on, which makes these forums not as safe and ethical as they might seem.

Dark web whistleblower and activist forums

The dark web can also be a secure place where whistleblowers and activists share information without fear of exposure. Here’s what you should know about the dark web activist forums:

• Main focus. Providing a secure platform for whistleblowers, journalists, and activists to share sensitive information.
• Working model. These forums allow sources to securely share information, expose wrongdoings, and enable confidential communication between whistleblowers and investigative reporters. They also allow activists to coordinate campaigns in repressive regimes, often relying on encryption tools to stay safer.
• Risk for businesses. While these forums can serve a public good, they’re still a risk for businesses. Disgruntled employees or insiders sometimes leak sensitive data here, potentially creating a reputational and security disaster.

Of course, many other types of dark web forums exist dedicated to crimes like drug sales, illicit goods, and even more severe offenses like human trafficking and smuggling. However, the forums mentioned above are those businesses should be most concerned about because they’re where criminals target and exploit sensitive data and entire networks.

Who uses dark web forums?

Dark web forums attract different kinds of people. Some are looking for privacy, others for profit, and some snoop around just out of sheer curiosity. Here are the main groups you’ll find on the dark web:

• Professional threat actors making money from hacking and fraud.
• Hobbyist hackers testing their skills.
• Privacy seekers who want to chat freely without being tracked.
• Whistleblowers and activists using the dark web to share information safely.
• Reporters who investigate crime.
• Cybersecurity experts who track emerging threats.
• Buyers and sellers of illegal goods, like drugs, fake IDs, weapons, or other banned items.
• Tech enthusiasts and gamers looking for rare software, game mods, or discussions about underground tech or hacking-related topics.
• Curious conventional internet users and those looking for censored information.

While some forums cater to specific regions or different languages (like Russian), most are English-speaking forums.

Risks and impacts associated with dark web forums

Dark web forums aren’t just places where cybercriminals hang out and talk shop. These communities have been behind some of the biggest cyberattacks in recent years. These sites fuel data breaches, phishing scams, ransomware attacks, and fraud. For businesses, the risks are huge.

Data leaks and stolen credentials

When threat actors breach a corporate network, they don’t just sit on the data they steal — they try to make a profit from it. And one of the quickest ways to turn stolen data into cash is to sell it on dark web forums. No matter what kind of information it is, every piece of data has a price tag in these underground communities.

Take the example of Neopets, the popular gaming site, which suffered a major data leak in 2022. Millions of user records, including emails, passwords, and birth dates, were put up for sale on a dark web forum. And it’s not just gaming companies that are at risk. Businesses of all types are vulnerable to the same fate. If your employee credentials appear on these forums, attackers can use them to infiltrate your systems and escalate privileges, causing further damage.

What makes these sales even more dangerous is that the data is often resold multiple times, which means that one breach can fuel dozens of future attacks. Without dark web monitoring, businesses may not even realize their data is circulating until it’s too late.

Phishing and brand impersonation

Phishing is one of the oldest tricks in the hacker playbook, but dark web forums have turned it into a sophisticated, scalable business. On dark web forums, criminals share ready-made phishing kits, which include prebuilt fake websites, email templates, and even scripts to bypass security checks like two-factor authentication.

An example of how dangerous these forums are is the phishing campaign that hit Chase Bank customers. Phishing kits imitating Chase’s login pages were openly traded on a dark web forum, leading to a 300% spike in phishing attacks targeting Chase clients. Once scammers got these credentials, they drained bank accounts, stole identities, and committed fraud while tarnishing Chase’s brand.

For businesses, this kind of impersonation is a reputational and financial disaster. Even if your business isn’t directly hacked, being impersonated in a dark web phishing attack can hurt customer trust and lead to expensive incident response efforts.

Ransomware and malware sales

Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) is a thriving business model on dark web hacking forums. Skilled malware developers create sophisticated ransomware strains and sell or rent them to criminals with less expertise. These “affiliates” then use the ransomware to attack companies, splitting the ransom with the developer.

The infamous LockBit and Conti ransomware groups operate using a similar model. These groups promote their services on dark web forums, offering ransomware tools to affiliates who conduct attacks and share a percentage of the ransom payments.

Malware is also sold widely on the dark web, including keyloggers, infostealer malware like RedLine Stealer, and custom exploit kits targeting corporate systems. This underground economy, often referred to as malware-as-a-service (MaaS), makes it easy for even low-skilled attackers to launch sophisticated campaigns. Due to the booming market, attack surface management and vulnerability management are crucial for businesses because without them, weaknesses might go unnoticed until they’re exploited.

Financial fraud and dark web marketplaces

Dark web forums are dangerous not only because of the digital crimes they enable but also because they open doors for massive financial fraud. On dark web forums, criminals openly buy and sell credit card details, bank logins, and payment processor accounts. These sales usually aren’t just one-off occurrences. Entire combo lists containing millions of compromised credentials are regularly traded.

Is it illegal to visit a dark web forum?

Visiting a dark web forum is not inherently illegal in many countries. However, participating in illegal activity, like purchasing or selling stolen data, sharing hacking tools, or distributing malware, is criminal. Law enforcement agencies regularly monitor forums, infiltrating them to identify and arrest participants.

Can police track you on the dark web? Despite Tor’s anonymity, mistakes in security and weak points in forums can still lead to arrests. Law enforcement takedowns of sites like Alphabay and the Russian Anonymous Marketplace prove that no dark web forum is above the law.

How can businesses safeguard against dark web threats?

Dark web forums will always exist. They’ll just evolve to dodge law enforcement and security tools. But that doesn’t mean businesses are powerless. By employing a proactive game plan, businesses can protect themselves from the risks dark web forums pose:

1. Strengthen your infrastructure. Simple fixes, like patching software, closing unnecessary ports, and limiting admin access, can reduce the chance that your data ends up on dark web forums in the first place.
2. Educate employees about dark web cyber threats. Human error remains one of the biggest causes of breaches. Train your employees to recognize phishing, use strong passwords, and enable multi-factor authentication.
3. Implement real-time threat response plans. Knowing your data is on a dark web forum is only useful if you can respond quickly. Build out incident response processes to handle everything from resetting compromised credentials to engaging law enforcement.
4. Run external vulnerability scans frequently. Threat actors discuss software vulnerabilities on dark web forums, especially ones they can easily exploit. Regular scanning helps you fix these weaknesses before they become entry points for attacks.
5. Invest in continuous dark web monitoring. If your data is stolen, it’ll likely show up on a dark web forum within days or weeks. Proactive dark web monitoring lets you discover breaches faster, potentially giving you a head start in containing the damage. With tools like NordStellar, you can continuously scan dark web forums for mentions of your company name, employee credentials, product names, and even specific projects. The earlier you detect your data appearing in these forums, the faster you can respond.

How does NordStellar help prevent threats from dark web forums?

NordStellar is a threat exposure management platform that gives businesses the visibility they need. NordStellar continuously scans dark web forums, hacker portals, and leak sites for any mention of your company’s data, credentials, or intellectual property. The second your company’s sensitive information surfaces on any of these sites, you get real-time, actionable alerts. Combine that with external vulnerability scanning, data breach monitoring, and account takeover prevention, and you have a complete protection system.

References

[1] From exposure to takeover: The 15 billion stolen credentials allowing account takeovers. (2020). Digital Shadows Photon Research Team. https://www.hackread.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/from-exposure-to-takeover-the-15-billion-stolen-credentials-allowing-account-takeover.pdf